Investing News

Real estate exchange-traded funds (ETFs) hold baskets of securities in the real estate sector, providing investors with a less expensive way to invest in the industry compared to other options. These funds often focus specifically on real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are securitized portfolios of real estate properties. REITs offer investors income potential as well as the liquidity of

Precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are valued by many investors as a hedge against inflation or a safe haven in times of economic turmoil. They also are valued for their rarity and their use in a broad range of industrial applications. Precious metals exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a popular way to invest

Platinum is regarded as an important precious metal by many investors, though it’s less commonly talked about than gold and silver. Many investors use platinum as either a hedge against inflation or a safe haven in troubling economic times. Platinum is also valuable as an industrial metal, used in the manufacturing of products such as

Oil and gas exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer investors more direct and easier access to the often-volatile energy market than many other alternatives. While there is the potential for significant returns by investing in the oil and gas sector, the risks can be high. Oil futures, for example, tend to be volatile and often require a

We live in a sharing economy. This is an economic model that uses peer-to-peer activity, allowing individuals to acquire and provide goods and services to one another. This includes everything from access to capital, data, fashion, employment, and even transportation. The latter is commonly referred to as ride-sharing but you probably know it better by

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reportedly will not seek to ban payment for order flow (PFOF), despite earlier indications that SEC Chair Gary Gensler had been inclined to issue such a prohibition. A notable winner from this apparent decision is online broker Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD), whose business model is based on PFOF.

E*TRADE, established in 1982, is a very large broker that helped to disrupt the brokerage industry as one of the earliest online brokerage platforms. Robinhood was formed much more recently in 2013, and was also an industry disruptor because of their primary focus on their mobile app and elimination of commissions for stock/ETF, options, and

Making mistakes on your tax return can cost you money. You may miss out on a larger refund than you claimed, wind up owing more taxes—plus interest and penalties—or invite an audit from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The best defense against results like these is a good offense: avoiding errors on your return. Key

After three days of increases that took the already elevated 30-year mortgage average to its highest level since October 2008, 30-year rates finally tapped the brakes Wednesday. That’s despite the Federal Reserve raising the federal funds rate another 0.75 percent yesterday, again illustrating that the Fed’s rate moves are not directly linked to mortgage rates.

The capitalization rate is the most commonly used baseline for comparing investment properties. It is analogous to the estimated effective rate of return on security investments. For example, a $100,000 all-cash property with a cap rate of 4.5% will produce the same returns as a $100,000 invested in securities at 4.5%. This figure helps real

Credit cards can offer more than convenience; they can also be a tool for earning valuable rewards points. According to a 2017 national survey , 40% of credit card users said rewards and cash back were their favorite benefits of the card they used most often. Sixty-two percent of cardholders aged 27 to 36 chose

Inflation occurs when an economy grows due to increased spending without an accompanying increase in the production of goods and services. When this happens, prices rise and the currency within the economy is worth less than it was before. The currency essentially won’t buy as much as it would before. When a currency is worth less, its exchange

Tracking interest rates over time shows us significant volatility over long-enough time periods. Typically, the rates will be lowest on mortgages, highest on credit cards, and somewhere in the middle on auto loans. We can predict only one thing about interest rates with reasonable surety: that rates will change significantly over most 10-year periods. Key

Eagle Services, a Midwest industrial and environmental cleaning service, has agreed to pay $100,000 in monetary relief to a group of workers that filed an employment discrimination charge against the company with the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC). The agreement resolves, through conciliation, the complaint in which employees alleged that Eagle Services discriminated against

Certificates of deposit (CDs) are a low-risk way to put some money aside for the short- to medium-term future and earn a modest return in the meantime. This makes them suitable and popular for seniors who have extra savings in retirement, and a common part of inheritance settlements. There are several ways to inherit a

Banks and credit unions offer certificates of deposit (CD) for savers who want to earn interest on money they don’t plan to spend right away. CDs can offer different maturity terms designed to fit both short- and long-term financial goals. Deciding at what age it makes sense to open a CD can depend on where

Consumer protection laws are made to protect consumers from fraudulent business practices, defective products, and dangerous goods and services. They play an important role in a reliable market economy, helping to keep sellers honest, with no threat of unpleasant surprises. Consumer protection laws in the U.S. are comprised of various federal and state laws, each

For people of average wealth, credit cards are ways to get by when money is tight, make additional purchases, or earn generic rewards. The super rich, however, have access to cards that give them luxurious perks, helping them to further fund their extravagant lifestyles. Many of these exclusive credit cards come only through invitation or

The annual percentage yield (APY) on a certificate of deposit (CD) is the amount of interest you will earn each year. The APY is normally expressed as a percentage, so you might see a CD advertised as having a 1% APY. In this case, if you have $100 in the CD, after a year, you

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 75 basis points (bp), or 0.75%, at its meeting on Sept. 20-21, 2022. The new target range is 3.00% to 3.25%. The FOMC’s press release stated: “Recent indicators point to modest growth in spending and production. Job gains have